Total assets managed by the top 100 alternative investment managers globally rose to $3.6tn at the end of 2015, up 3 per cent on the previous year, according to research produced by Willis Towers Watson.

Investors have a conflicted attitude to alternative assets. Investors into private equity and real estate are for the most part satisfied. Those allocating to hedge funds and natural resources have a more negative perception, says data provider Preqin.